Jane Sanders, who also serves as a chief adviser to her husband’s presidential campaign, is not compensated for her role at the institute. Her son, David Driscoll, is a paid $100,000 a year as co-founder and executive director. Driscoll previously worked for a Vermont snowboarding firm and had no previous nonprofit experience, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The lack of transparency and the family ties has drawn criticism from good-government advocates.

“For a politician who runs on fairness and socialist principals, this looks like the old political games,” said Lawrence R. Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. “It’s a product of running a political operation in which family rules the roost.”

64. Indeed. He was TOTALLY unqualified...

Indeed. He was TOTALLY unqualified, and I've had all the nepotism that I can stand for one lifetime.

Bodes poorly for decisions he would make, if he ever had the chance.

Agreed! We can find clues regarding the type of leader someone will be by examining their recent decisions.

Another recent decision that troubles me is the decision to not release his full tax returns. Something tells me that someone has made a deliberate decision to NOT release them. Someone on the campaign (or maybe the candidate) has weighed the pros-and-cons... calculated the pluses-and-minuses... and determined that the "fallout" from not releasing the tax returns is more acceptable than the "fallout" of going ahead and releasing them.

All I'm saying is that HONESTY and TRANSPARENCY is important to me. It's also important to me that the next POTUS be able to make wise decisions about his (or her) cabinet and other appointments.

It's perfectly reasonable for people to consider the fact that if a candidate hasn't shown thoughtful foresight in the past, then why should I believe they'll be capable of doing it in the future?

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Joe Biden

20. His brand is based on being seen as the only one not corrupted by money.

He always talks about how Democrats are beholden to corporate donors, Wall Street, Big Banks, Pharma, the wealthy elite. That he is the only honest, authentic and consistent one.

Here is the message he is sending: The majority of Americans agree with Bernie, who has introduced progressive ideas to Democrats for the first time. What was radical is now mainstream. But billionaires have bribed Democrats and they are terrified and doing everything they can to stop progressive ideas.

This message is very clear, all you have to do is listen to him.

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Kamala Harris

21. Thank you

For a clear, non combative response. So here's mine

Yes, Bernie's msg is along those lines.

I would argue that he's NOT saying he's introduced these progressive ideas for the first time moreso that he's been pushing these ideas for a long time. I have seen him give credit where credit is due. In the beginning of the last primaries he credited Hillary's healthcare policies during her husbands Presidency. They did work together back then on healthcare.

I would also argue he's NOT saying Democrats have been corrupted, but that Government has been corrupted. That lobbyist have tainted governance for the average American. I don't think anybody can disagree with that. Is there any Democrat that doesn't want to see Citizens United overturned? Is there any Democrat that doesn't want big moneyed lobbyist reigned in? I love that Elizabeth Warren has set the bar for funding campaigns with small donors.

And for the last argument of this post.....I think most Americans do agree with many of his policy stances. Healthcare, wages, education, etc. Even red states are coming around to seeing how we've (American public) has been getting screwed for a long time and it's about time the pendulum swing back our way

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Bernie Sanders

25. You could argue he's not saying that.

But words mean things. His quotes have been posted repeatedly. His whole brand is based on attacking the Democratic Party. He doesn’t like the party and wants everyone to know it. When someone shows you who they really are, believe them.

It takes a great deal of cognitive dissonance to pretend he hasn’t spent an extraordinary amount of time attacking the Democratic Party.

“Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.”

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Kamala Harris

24. I googled your question

First link is to the dailymail and they cite Breitbart as the paper of record. It relates to Hunter Biden flying to China with Joe Biden on official business and brokering a private deal while there. The second link is the WSJ which seems to confirm it among other things and relies on a book by Peter Schweizer. I don't know how credible it is overall. He's a conservative author so my initial reaction is not that credible.

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Bernie Sanders

19. Shouldn't have said that other squeaky clean foundations were corrupt.

Yesterday I saw a video titled "How Political Dynasties are Ruining America." I knew what was coming just by looking at the guy narrating the video. Didn't turn on the sound, waited for what I knew was coming: yup, the Clintons are still hard at work ruining America with dynasties.

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Kamala Harris

40. Especially ones that actually got health care and meds to the people who needed them,

rather than simply ranting about it for decades, were never found to be self-dealing or corrupt, or cut checks to family members, and actually made a difference in the lives of girls - oh wait, that's "identity politics" isn't it?

My bad.

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Undecided

22. I will never forgive this, it makes my heart ache.

For four months after the race was clearly over in March, Sanders continued to accept donations. Ted Devine's monthly fee was $810,000. Sanders said: "Let me give special thanks to the financial support we received from students struggling to repay their college loans, from seniors and disabled vets on Social Security, from workers earning starvation wages and even from people who were unemployed."

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Kamala Harris

38. The Sanders Institute was founded as a 501(c)(3) organization. Their political activity....

"...it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."

"Section 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted in how much political and legislative (lobbying) activities they may conduct."

"A section 501(c)(3) organization must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, such as the creator or the creator's family, shareholders of the organization, other designated individuals, or persons controlled directly or indirectly by such private interests. No part of the net earnings of a section 501(c)(3) organization may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. A private shareholder or individual is a person having a personal and private interest in the activities of the organization."

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Beto O'Rourke

65. This is kneecapping. Sanders is not Trump, but someone would like us to think he is.

“It’s a product of running a political operation in which family rules the roost.”

Would they say this about the Kennedy Family? I don't think so.

I have noticed several threads that try to portray Sanders as money obsessed and I am afraid we are skating very near an intolerable bit of bigotry which is that "Jewish people love money to excess." Do not go there, please.

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Beto O'Rourke

67. Whole books have been written about the Kennedy, Bush, and Clinton families and money,

and the MSM has never been shy about shilling "Clinton Cash" nonsense in the service of generating its own revenue.

As for the other allegation, it appears that you are the only person who actually did go there.

I've never heard that talking point before. Are you accusing VT Digger of antisemitism for its coverage of the finances of the family of one of the state's sitting senators? Would that charge also include Jane O'Meara and the Driscoll children who are not Jewish?

If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for:Undecided